Featuring a rich program with interesting presentations on cutting-edge issues in international law, iLaw 2017 proved an enormous success for the Section. This year's conference, with a new name and featuring the ICDR Arbitration Track, saw record attendance and proved once again Miami's central role as a hub for international law. The conference kick-off on Thursday, with a happy hour hosted by Hogan Lovells, was followed by an intense day of seminars, networking and friendship.

Feel free to share your photos of the event to be placed on the Gazette!

Section News

Remembering George "Rocky" Harper

The ILS wishes to remember its founder and former chair, Mr. George "Rocky" Harper, who passed away at age 74 on Monday, February 20, 2017. Mr. Meyer was an icon in the world of international law who helped put Florida on the map as a significant player in this area. We extend our condolences to his wife Ms. Jeanne Harper, to his sons Steven M. Harper and Douglas Harper, and to his partner James Meyer, chair of the Cuba Committee. The family plans to hold a private memorial service on March 11, and the law firm will hold a public memorial service a few days later at the University of Miami for the legal community at large. In lieu of flowers, donations to the George R. Harper Scholarship at the University of Miami School of Law are preferred.

ILS Holds its Council Meeting

The ILS held its Executive Council Meeting last Thursday at the offices of Hogan Lovells. The meeting was an opportunity to hear the reports and future plans of the various committees. Most notably, in the course of the meeting, the Publications Committee unveiled the new website of the Section, which will be up soon and will combine complete information with easy access and captivating graphics. The website will be fully integrated with the Gazette, the ILQ and the section's social media pages. The next meeting will be held in occasion of the Florida Bar Conference in Boca Raton. More details to come.

The Annual Florida Bar International Law Section Vis Pre-Moot Competition

On Saturday, February 18, 2017 at JAMS Resolution Center in Miami the ILS hosted the ILS Vis Pre-Moot, which prepares law students from the largest law schools in Florida and beyond for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna. Congratulations to all participants!!!

ILS Members at the Quebec Bar Opening of the Season Celebration

Past ILS Chair Bill Hill, along with his wife Alice and several European bar associations leaders, participated in the Quebec Bar Opening of the Season Celebration on September 10, 2016. Bill, along with past chair Lucius Smeja, have led the way for many years in developing and fostering the ILS's close relationship with the Quebec Bar.

The ILS' Legislative Committee has informed the Florida Bar of its position on Fla. HJR 1 (2017) proposing, among the others, an amendment to the State Constitution to limit to 12 consecutive years the number of years supreme court justices and district court judges may hold the same office and prohibiting justices or district court judges from being reappointed for 1 year after leaving office. The ILS joined the Fla. Bar Board of Governors; the Young Lawyers' Division and many sister sections (including BLS, RPPTLS and the Appellate Law Section) in opposing the proposed legislation.

Upcoming Events

February 21-25, 2017

Arbitration Rules in Practice, jointly organized by VIAC, YAAP, ArbAut and the Sommerhochschule. The course addresses young arbitration practitioners and PhD and diploma students and offers a four-day program on international commercial arbitration and participation in the Vienna Arbitration Days 2017. For more information, click
here.

February 24-25, 2017

Vienna Arbitration Days 2017. The 10th Anniversary of VAD will discuss the topic "Repositioning Arbitration." Over the years the Vienna Arbitration Days, Vienna International Arbitral Centre being one of the co-organizers, have become the leading arbitration conference in Austria. Click here to learn more.

March 2, 2017

A seminar titled Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in Domestic Courts, hosted by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, 601 Lexington Avenue, 31st floor, New York 10022 from 5 to 8pm. Domestic courts in the US and Europe have issued several recent decisions dealing with the enforceability of international arbitral decisions. From enforcing vacated awards, to the treatment of ICSID final awards, to arbitrator independence and sovereign immunity, these cases have affected the landscape for enforcement of international arbitration awards. To learn more and register, click here.

March 2-4, 2017

The CPR Institute's Annual Meeting will be held on March 2-4, 2017 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Miami. The event is an opportunity to explore the roles of inside counsel and outside counsel and ways they can best collaborate to improve dispute resolution processes and practices around the world.
For more information and to register, visit www.cprmeeting.org.

March 9, 2017

International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates of North America annual meeting will be taking place in Fort Lauderdale March 9th and 10th 2017. CLE is normally awarded for 8 hours. For further information, visit the event website or contact Laurence D. Gore goreinternationallaw@gmail.com

March 10, 2017

On March 10, 2017, a CLE seminar on "Doing Business in Cuba" will be held
at Barry University - Andreas School of Business from 8am to 4.30am, ILS members, Richard Montes De Oca, of MDO Partners, and Peter Quinter, of Gray Robinson, will take part in a panel titled "How To Do Business in Cuba Legally and Ethically. Click for the event
brochure and
program.

March 15, 2017

The
International Bar Association will hold its 2nd Annual Latin American Bar Leaders' Summit, 15 March 2017, in Buenos Aires at the Colegio Publico de Abogados de la Capital Federal. The panel is titled "The role of the legal profession in fighting corruption" will examine the professional ethics and implications arising from situations such as the duties and obligations of lawyers who become aware of financial crimes, the implications in terms of professional secrecy, client confidentiality and reporting obligations, as well as looking at what measures could be used to prevent mistakes which were made in connection with money laundering legislation from reoccurring. Click here for the event program.

March 22, 2017

Please join the ILS on March 22, 2017 at the Coral Gables offices of Fiduciary Trust for lunch with Arturo J. Aballí, Jr. Mr. Aballí will discuss his thoughts on the opportunities and challenges facing Florida's international lawyers advising ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals in the coming years. Increasing numbers of UHNW individuals have connections with one country, but live and work in another, frequently owning property or investments in several countries. Florida has been - and will continue to be - a world center for international lawyers advising UHNW individuals. Click here for the program brochure.

March 27, 2017

On March 27, 2017, starting at 6pm at the Atlanta Campus of the University of Georgia School of Law, Terry Third Thursday Room, 3475 Lenox Road NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler of Geneva University Law School will deliver the Second Annual Hendrix Lecture of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (AtlAS). Professor Kaufmann-Kohler is known worldwide for her expertise in international arbitration: she has acted in over 200 international arbitrations, mainly as an arbitrator. The lecture is presented by the Atlanta International Arbitration Society, the Dean Rusk International Law Center, and the University of Georgia School of Law, as part of the law school's Georgia Women in Law Lead (Georgia WILL) initiative. It is co-sponsored by the Women Law Students Association. To learn more and register, click here.

April 4, 2017

The International Law Section organized a CLE audio webcast on "
Evolution of the L-1A Visa: How Practitioners Can Adapt to The Changing Landscape (2296R)". This program will offer a practical approach to the preparation of the L-1A visa petition taking into consideration USCIS regulations and current policy including adjudication trends at the Service Centers. Click here for the event brochure.

May 19, 2017

The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution will hold a seminar titled "
Business Dispute Management: Challenges and Opportunities in Times of Crisis" in Curitiba, Brazil at Universidade Positive. For more information, visit the event
website.

Winter 2017 ILQ

Spring 2017 Issue - Message from the Editors

Dear Members of the International Law Section:

We are gearing up for our Spring 2017 International Law Quarterly ("ILQ"), and we wanted to reach out to see if any of you would like to submit an article for the publication.

The Spring 2017 ILQ will focus on international aspects of cybersecurity and data privacy law. The deadline for submission of articles is 31 March. Articles should be 8-10 pages, double-spaced, and should conform with the provisions of the
ILQ Style Guide.

Currently, we already have authors discussing the following topics, so please choose another topic:

The EU's increasingly aggressive enforcement of data protection laws.

Cross-border cooperation in criminal cases and some unique considerations presented in the cybercrime context.

Homeland Security and Data Privacy.

Please let us know if you are interested in submitting an article, and, if so, your proposed topic.

Regards,

Rafael Ribeiro - ILQ Editor-in-Chief

Javier Peral - Editor

Loly Sosa - Editor

International Law Quarterly (ILQ)

The
Winter 2017 ILQ - Focus on International Internal Investigations is now available to view and download
here.

In light of what we accomplished this past year, we hope you will continue to support the Section as a sponsor. In 2016-2017, various firms, companies and suppliers sponsored the Section. We look forward to another year of innovative programs where we can advance international law and further promote our sponsors.
Contact Elizabeth Ortega at eco@ecostrats.comfor more details.